GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Dalton Bolon tallied his first career double-double with 22 points and 10 boards as No. 23 College of Charleston won its 14th straight game, notching a 92-79 victory over North Carolina A&T.
Charleston (15-1, 3-0 CAA) is off to its best single-season start since joining the Division I ranks in 1991.
Bolon – who was one of five Charleston players to score in double digits – made 10-of-16 shots for the Cougars and also dished out two assists. Ante Brzovic and Pat Robinson III each scored 12 points, while Raekwon Horton and Ben Burnham both had 11.
Kam Woods scored a career-high 30 points to lead N.C. A&T (6-10, 1-2). Duncan Powell added 20 points for the Aggies, while Marcus Watson had 12 points and 12 boards.
N.C. A&T jumped out to a five-point lead early, but Charleston roared back to tie the game, and then used a 26-6 run to take a 22-point advantage into halftime. Ryan Larson and Bolon each scored eight points during that stretch.
Charleston went on to lead by as many as 30 points in the second half, pushing its advantage with a 12-5 run. Five different Cougars scored in that span.
BIG PICTURE
Charleston: After falling behind by a few points early, Charleston used the CAA’s best scoring offense – putting up 80.5 points per game – to race away from the Aggies. In this one, Charleston used its depth and athleticism to push the pace, attempting a season-high 77 shots from the floor. Dunks and lay-ups were key too, as the Cougars outscored the Aggies 52-38 in the paint.
N.C. A&T: The Aggies have now lost six of their last eight games, and their schedule doesn’t get much easier. N.C. A&T is playing in its third different conference in three years, jumping from the MEAC to the Big South and now to the CAA, and this league might be the toughest it has played in. The Aggies still have to face four more teams ranked ahead of them in KenPom’s Division I rankings.
UP NEXT
Charleston: Back at home, the Cougars host Delaware on Saturday.
N.C. A&T: UNC-Wilmington visits the Aggies on Saturday.
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